| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today said President Bush’s
FY’04 budget is $2 trillion in misplaced priorities. Schakowsky added
that while the Bush budget threatens Social Security and Medicare, shortchanges
education, health care, and homeland security and does little to grow the
economy or create jobs, it offers hundreds of billions of dollars in tax
cuts for the rich. Under Bush, a projected ten-year budget surplus
of $5.6 trillion has been replaced with a $2.1 trillion budget deficit
– a $7.7 trillion reversal.
Health
Care
•
The President offers inadequate prescription drug coverage and unspecified
Medicare reforms that look to push seniors into private health plans
•
The President attempts to dismantle Medicaid’s guarantee of health care
for lowincome individuals under the guise of “state flexibility.”
•
The budget cuts overall spending for Medicaid and SCHIP —The budget cuts
Medicaid spending relative to current law by $6.4 billion over ten years
(2004-2013).
•
The Administration freezes family planning programs — The budget freezes
Title X family planning programs at the 2002 enacted level of $265 million.
This funding is a cut of $9 million (3.4 percent) from the level needed
to maintain purchasing power at the 2002 level
Education
•
21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program, at $600 million,
are down $430 million (41.8 percent). This is $1.2 billion below the level
Congress authorized for 2004 for this program in the No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLB).
•
Improving teacher quality, at $3.1 billion, is cut $173 million (5.2 percent).
•
Education technology funding, at $722 million, is down $77 million (9.6
percent).
•
Perkins loans, at $68 million, are cut $106 million (61.0 percent).
•
The budget for the No Child Left Behind Act is inadequate — The budget
provides $22.6 billion to fund programs under the No Child Left Behind
Act, more than $9 billion below the amount authorized for 2004 and $199
million below the amount needed to maintain purchasing power at the 2002
level.
Homeland
Security
•
The Administration provides a minimal increase for Homeland security —The
budget provides a mere 0.8 percent increase from 2003.
Law
Enforcement
•
The President’s budget sharply cuts state and local law enforcement and
justice assistance — The President’s budget cuts state and local law enforcement
programs by $3.4 billion below the level needed to maintain purchasing
power at the 2002 level. This includes a cut to the Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) program of $929 million (85 percent) below the
level needed to maintain purchasing power at the 2002 level. The budget
eliminates funding for juvenile justice block grant programs and the Violence
Against Women Act programs, and the Weed and Seed program.
Community
•
The President’s budget requires widespread cuts to community development
programs — The President’s budget cuts the Community Development Block
Grant Program by $3.3 billion below the level needed to maintain purchasing
power at the 2002 level. |
